The women in '04 who, after stealing your heart and running away with your dignity, whispered ever so delicately in your ear: are you not entertained?
1. Zhang Ziyi
Chinese actors tend to keep themselves busy, but few have the instinct, luck, or talent to limit themselves to only Asia's most prestigious filmmakers. In the past year, we saw Zhang Ziyi in Zhang Yimou's Hero and House of Flying Daggers, Wong Kar-wai's 2046, Hou Yong's Jasmine Women, and Lou Ye's Purple Butterfly which included perhaps her best performance to date. Best of all, Zhang Ziyi refuses to slide into a comfort zone, with a fascinating film choice (legendary director Seijun Suzuki's Princess Raccoon) and a questionable one (Rob Marshall's controversial adaptation of Memoirs of a Geisha) coming up in 2005.
-- Brian Hu
2. Maggie Cheung
2004 was a big year for white, middle-aged, male critics to salivate over Asian women. Poor Tony Leung and Andy Lau continue to be shunned by both mainstream and indie reviewers who can provide insightful analyses of gender inequality yet see no problem ogling like schoolboys over Leung and Lau's co-stars Zhang Ziyi and Maggie Cheung. With Hero and 2046, Cheung once again became the thinking-man's sex-object. However, at least in 2004, Cheung received much-deserved commendation at Cannes for her acting in Olivier Assayas's Clean in a role stripped of glamour, a sign that the west can accept her as one of the world's premier actresses, rather than simply another pretty face.
-- Brian Hu
3. Aishwarya Rai
There's pretty -- daffodils, dandelions, summer rain -- and then there's jaw-dropping gorgeous. Aishwarya Rai belongs to the latter category and the millions of online voters who cast their ballots for her being the "most beautiful woman in the world" must wholeheartedly agree. Rai's reign as Bollywood's most accomplished star began in '97 with her highly regarded performance in Iruvar, with later roles resulting in still greater fanfare and a best actress award in 1999 to boot. All this, and she's still forbidden to kiss and tell, which is due to change with her first onscreen smooch in '05. Gentlemen, start your engines...
-- Chi Tung
4. Bai Ling
For Bai Ling, 2004 brought about Spike Lee's She Hate Me, Sky Captain
and the World of Tomorrow, Terrance Malick's The Beautiful Country, Bertha Bay-Sa Pan's Face, My Baby's Daddy, and let's not forget, the epic filming of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Why adore her? Because, in addition to her various interesting acting roles, she's the definition of a free spirit, pure in her intentions, adaptable to her roles, and uninhibited with the choices that she makes -- breaking down barriers because barriers simply cannot hold her down. Whether she's filming more movies or writing a book about her own mind-blowing experiences during the Cultural Revolution (both on her list), Bai Ling rarely ceases to fascinate.
-- Ada Tseng
5. Gong Li
Though she isn't quite the scorching beauty of years past, Gong Li remains China's most durable femme fatale. Zhou Yu's Train was a rambling mess, but Gong's pouty lips and sensual, searching stare helped lessen the pain considerably. Perhaps Hollywood finally caught on to the fact that the woman is still as plucky as ever; she was cast in Rob Marshall's Memoirs of a Geisha, in what promises to be a wake-up call for Americans who know her only as Zhang Yimou's ex-flame.
-- Chi Tung
6. Puffy Ami Yumi
When they debuted in Japan, their catchy tunes ensnared many-a-teenager's hearts. Their songs still score as the most popular songs at karaoke, with even their moves being imitated. Their popularity and success have been phenomenal. Today, their faces are on billboards, advertisements, and buses in New York City and their U.S. debut, contribution to the Cartoon Network's Teen Titans series, touring of NYC, San Francisco, and Los Angeles have given way to their very own new animated cartoon series, “Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi.” Children love them and ratings look hopeful. Puffy Ami Yumi are officially one of the few Asian artists thriving in the U.S. entertainment industry.
-- Fumie Nakamura
7. Jessica Yu
This Oscar-winning documentarian -- Best Documentary Short for 1996's Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien -- does it again this year with her release of In the Realms of the Unreal, which tells the story of Henry Darger, a renowned outsider artist who lived such a solitary life that his art was not discovered until after his death. Having already received a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, In the Realms of the Unreal is one of 12 films that is up for consideration for this year's Oscars' Best Documentary category. Written, directed, edited, and researched by the astonishingly creative and dedicated Yu, a potentially uneasy story is catapulted into a compelling narrative that captures Darger's impressive power of imagination.
-- Ada Tseng
8. Mira Nair
If you're celebrated Indian filmmaker Mira Nair, how do you respond to the near-universal reception which greeted your Monsoon Wedding? By following it up with a baffling, polarizing (at best), convention-be-damned rehaul of Vanity Fair, of course. That the film featured the commercial clout of Reese Witherspoon, yet by all accounts, still failed to impress ticketholders is by no means indicative of Ms. Nair's shortcomings. On the contrary, by sticking to her guns, she simply hammered home the notion that true art is not always easily digestible. Call it tough love filmmaking -- the kind that every complacent moviegoer could use more of.
-- Chi Tung
9. Sandra Oh
More than just the apple of Hollywood It-auteur Alexander Payne's eye (the couple have been married for a year), Sandra Oh is that rare Asian actress who relies purely on her razor-tongued wit and well-honed comic instincts. While her more glamorous peers routinely find themselves perpetuating the dragon lady-mystique, Oh managed to carve out her own niche in 2004's runaway cult hit, the offbeat, wine-obsessed, middle-age-empowering Sideways. Let's hope that in '05, she continues to march to the beat of her own drum.
-- Chi Tung
10. Utada Hikaru
The year 2004 saw the American debut of J-pop princess Utada Hikaru through Island Def Jam Records. Exodus was the first major release in the United States for Utada, and incorporated a wide variety of music genres and styles. All the songs on the album were sung in English, though past albums have included songs in both English and Japanese. Lyrically, Utada's songs express concerns about being a “crossover” act, the expectations of stardom, and interracial relations: all packaged in catchy pop songs. Overall, Exodus is a great pop album diverse in style and substance, setting Utada up nicely for a breakout year in '05.
-- Larry Kao
Don't forget about these ladies: Arundhati Roy, Harisu, Yunjin Kim, Faye Wong, Grace Park, Kelly Hu, Aimee Phan, Keiko Agena.